


Rainbow Connection

by sailorshinji



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: "Bad Teen Movie Plot" AU I guess?, Also all of the members of the Horde just work at hot topic in this AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Romantic Comedy, Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, First Time, Gay Pride, Hate to Love, Light Angst, Loss of Virginity, Love/Hate, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Oral Sex, Pet Names, Pride AU, Romantic Comedy, Slow Burn, Vaginal Fingering, Yes you read that right, everyone is 21+, it's my sleep-over and i get to pick the plot!, slow burn adora/catra
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-08-13 12:40:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20174416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sailorshinji/pseuds/sailorshinji
Summary: Summer Vacation has brought the Best Friend Squad to one of the best Pride events in the city- and Adora's first! When Glimmer's mom treats Adora to a shopping spree and makeover for the festival, she gets more attention than she bargained for... even some from an unexpectedly familiar face.





	1. Chapter 1

The street lights outside the skate park flickered and the smell of the old paper mill drifted through the air. Catra wiped her nose and tightened the hold on her board. The tight feeling in her stomach gripped her even stronger as she worked up the courage to turn to her best friend. Adora was caught up in recalling something that had happened in class earlier that day. 

"So then Kyle had to present our group project and _totally_ forgot his pa-"  
"H-hey, Adora..?"

Adora turned to Catra and cocked an eyebrow, "Hm?"

Catra quickly turned away as she felt the blood rush to her face, "Oh, sorry I didn't mean to interrupt… you were saying?"

The tall blonde stopped walking and stepped in front of her, "Hey… what's up? Something on your mind?"

Catra felt her face getting even hotter and the feeling in her stomach clamp down on her insides. The embarrassment she felt started to bubble up and spill over in the form of tears. 

"Whoa, hey are you okay? What's wrong?" Adora furrowed her brow and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. 

The warmth sent a shiver down Catra's spine to the tips of her tail, causing her breath to catch in her throat.

"C'mon, don't cry! You know you can tell me anything!"

Catra took a deep, shivering breath, "S-sorry. Look, I know this is random but… but I've been thinking and I… I think… I think I'm gay." The confession pushed its way out of her chest like a dam breaking. The wording wasn't entirely true, she didn't so much think it as know it. But if she worded it like she was unsure then maybe there would be a way to take it back… to cover it up if Adora thought she was weird… if she didn't want to be her friend any mo-

"That's all?" Adora asked bluntly.

Catra blinked in surprise, "'That's all'…? '_That's all_'…?! Adora, what the _fuck_?!" she pushed her friend gently on the shoulder and groaned loudly before collapsing against the chain-link fence with her face in her elbow. "Whatdoesthateven_mean_?!" she groaned. 

Adora chuckled and leaned against the fence next to her, "Sorry! I didn't mean to be insensitive! It's just that I've known you forever! Did you think I wouldn't know by now..?"

Catra whipped her head up to look Adora in the eyes, "How could you know?! I've never even said anything about it until today!"

Adora met her friend's eyes unflinchingly, "Idunno. I mean, I've never said anything about it and you know _I'm_ gay."

Catra's eyes widened as her ears flattened against her head, "…You are..?"

At that moment Adora realized how serious the situation really was, "Y-yeah. I just… didn't really ever think about saying it out loud until now…" she stared at the empty sidewalk in front of them, taking the time to fully embrace the weight of her own confession. "I've always known. I just never felt like I needed to say it to anyone," she sighed. "I don't think I've ever needed an explanation for it y'know…"

Catra's tail twitched in excitement. She had so many things she needed to know! So many questions that she wanted to ask, but at the moment only one came to mind, "So… are there any… girls that you _like_?"

Adora giggled and leaned her head into the fence, lacing one hand into the chain link closer to her best friend's face, "Yeah… one I've liked for a while... What about you?"

* * * 10 years later * * *

The jet turbulence shook Adora from her sleep as she tightened her grip on Bow's hand.

"_Ow ow ow_… Glimmer can we trade seats? I think she's about to break my fingers," he pleaded. 

Glimmer smirked, "I'm sorry, if I recall correctly _someone_ didn't want the aisle seat"

"It's her first time flying! I'm not gonna take the window seat from her!" 

"I, uh, think the window's actually making me more nervous," Adora winced.

"It's a three hour flight! We're almost there, just relax! Enjoy the view!" Glimmer hissed through her teeth, reaching across Bow to squeeze Adora's hand. 

Adora turned her head to look out the window at the infinite ocean spreading out underneath them. She was hoping for a change of scenery during the summer but a flight to L.A. wasn't really what she was expecting. However, the adventure was well-deserved and much-needed for the trio. Besides, Glimmer's mom was begging to see her daughter during summer vacation and-- much to Adora and Bow's surprise-- just as excited to see them. 

Adora took a deep breath and loosened the grip on Bow's hand.

"_Thank you_…" he whispered, trying to slide his hand out.  
"Don't you dare," she whispered back.

After two more agonizing hours the flight finally touched down at LAX. Adora soon discovered that the flight wasn’t nearly as nerve-wracking as the baggage claim. Glimmer took charge, linking arms with her friends to force their way through the crowds.

“How will we know where your mom is?!” Adora projected over the chaos, barely dodging a suitcase to the shins.

“Trust me, we’ll know,” Glimmer replied. A halo of pink and purple balloons outlined a figure in the distance. “Found her— _MOM_!”

“_GLIMMER_!” a slender hand reached up and waved as two huge wings spread out in glee. 

Glimmer clung tightly to her friends and focused her energy on being back in her mother's arms again. In an instant the three of them felt Angella's warm embrace around them.

"My _baby_! I'm _so_ glad to have you back home again!" she sobbed.

"I _-wheeze-_ missed you too, mom!" Glimmer winced through her mother's iron grip.

The car ride back to Angella's house was a flurry of banter and questions-- how was finals week? Did they pass? Did they have any jobs lined up for the rest of summer? How many more classes did they need to pass? Glimmer and Bow were able to answer with break-neck speed but Adora was still reeling from the change of environment. Traffic felt like it took thirty years and every area of the city that they drove through seemed like a completely new universe. Dozing in and out of sleep, by the time they reached Glimmer's home it felt like Adora had flown halfway across the world. 

The house felt like a mansion compared to the two-bedroom dorm that the trio had normally shared. "Adora, you can take the guest room on the left, Bow you can take the room next to the bathroom, Glimmer your room is exactly how you left it-- a mess," grinned her mother.

"Ah- actually I can just room with Glimmer," Adora interjected, "One less room for you to clean," she explained, not wanting to admit that it was because she wasn't entirely comfortable sleeping in a room alone. 

Angella cocked an eyebrow at her daughter, "If that's okay with you girls..?"

_She's not my girlfriend! Stop giving me that look!_ Screamed Glimmer internally, "Fine by me! We're going to unpack, then we can help with dinner!"

* * *

Adora and Bow sat at the kitchen table diligently chopping vegetables for their late meal. "You kids are so sweet. You shouldn't be helping with dinner, you're on vacation!" chirped Glimmer's mother.

"It's no problem at all! George and Lance would be so disappointed if I didn't offer any help," replied Bow as he whipped his pairing knife through a carrot. 

"How are your dads, Bow? Still running the library?" Angella questioned as she passed her daughter a dirty pan to wash.

"Mhmm! They're doing great, and _still_ not taking any breaks. They're really excited for me to send them pictures from this weekend, though. I'm the last of my siblings to attend the festival," his knife pushed a stack of carrots towards his and Adora's vegetable pile for the stew they were making.

"Oh my gosh, I forgot Pride was already tomorrow night! Glimmer, why didn't you remind me?!" her mother chided. 

"I only told you, like, five times last week!" groaned Glimmer, with a roll of her eyes, "It's super important to his dads. A generational tradition, y'know?"

Adora was focused on peeling a potato when Angella addressed her, "What about you, Adora? Do you want me to take any pictures of you for your parents before the festival tomorrow?"

Bow and Glimmer froze with their cooking utensils in their hands and made eye contact. Adora looked up from her potato, "Hm? O-oh… no. I haven't really, uh… talked to my parents in a few… years," she cleared her throat, "But I'm super excited to go! I've heard a lot of really fun things about it!" she smiled.

Embarrassment hit Angella over the head. Her daughter had _neglected_ to mention that little detail about their house guest. The matron of the house smiled nervously, "A-… ah, of course you kids will have a blast! I'll make sure not to wait up tomorr- _Oh!_" she gasped as one of her wings knocked over a pitcher of sangria. Glimmer teleported to catch it at the last minute before it hit the floor. For a moment the kitchen was deathly silent, before finally erupting in laughter and breaking the tension.

* * *

The next morning Angella was sitting on the couch staring into a fresh cup of coffee. Glimmer stumbled into the living room with a deep yawn, "_Mmm_morning, Mom…" she sighed before collapsing into the arm chair next to her. 

Angella was just recently used to anyone sitting in her late husband's chair, "Good morning, love. How did you sleep?"

Her daughter stretched out and slumped into the cushion, "Could've been better… I'm not used to sharing a bed with Adora, she snores. Loudly."

The room echoed with the ring of Glimmer's mother tapping a tea spoon against her coffee mug, "I've been thinking about that girl…" she sighed.

"_Mom!_ We're _not_ dating! We're just a fri-"

"_Glimmer!_ That's not what I meant!" she snapped, "I meant that she hasn't spoken to her family…" Angella could feel tears in the corner of her eyes. 

Her daughter pulled her legs up to her chest in the chair and huddled into a ball, "Well… sometimes… relatives aren't exactly family, Mom," she shrugged, "She's happy on her own… I think..? But no matter what happens, Bow and I are gonna be there for her!" Glimmer smiled confidently, "We're _all_ family!"

Angella leaned her head into her hand and smiled back, _How'd I raise such a good kid?_  
"I trust that you guys will be there for her… But I was just thinking about the things that you _can't_ get back… all of your recitals, prom, gradation, your debut," she nodded to a collection of photos on their fireplace mantle. "You just don't get a second chance at being there for those…"

Glimmer sighed deeply, staring at a glamour-shot of herself from her debut. Even if it was three years ago she could still feel the rough tulle from her ball gown. But even through the scratchy dress and the tedious choreographed dance routine, the fun she had was undeniable. Besides, everyone should have a chance to be the center of attention at least once! She could suddenly feel the beginning of an idea sparking inside of her, "That's it..!" she whispered.

Angella was about to lift her mug to her lips when her daughter teleported to the couch cushion next to her, almost launching hot coffee into her face.

"Mom, that's it! A Gay-butante!" Glimmer squealed, "This is her first Pride! We could totally make her over and give her the chance to feel special!"

"Glimmer that's not-!" her daughter's eyes widened with a puppy-dog stare, "…a bad idea, actually... _Fine._ Take the American Express. You can get her hair and makeup done and a new outfit but that's _it!_ We are not spending what we spent on your debut!" Angella instructed sternly. 

Glimmer squealed even louder and wrapped her arm around her mother's shoulders, "Thankyousomuchmom! Ok, ok! I won't go too crazy!" she beamed, springing off the couch to fetch her mother's credit card. "Oh-- and just so you know, some mothers would have _killed_ to throw a party that fun for their kids!"

"Mermista's mother didn't kill anyone, she hired a hitman," Angella smirked back.��

*******

Adora could feel the pressure of someone laying across her legs… no wait… two people. She slowly peeled her eyes open to see her two best friends strewn across the bed and smiling up at her.

“Why?” she groaned.

“What do you mean ‘why’?! Can’t we say good morning to you?” Glimmer pouted.

“Not when you look so suspicious,” she squinted, “especially not at eight in the morning.”

Bow and Glimmer glanced at each other, no longer able to contain their excitement, “We got Angella’s credit card! You’re getting a _makeover_!” Bow exclaimed. 

Adora’s eyes widened, “What? No, I can’t let your mom do that, Glimmer! She’s already letting us stay here for free, it wouldn’t be ri-”

Angella cleared her throat from outside the door, “Glimmer…”

The trio looked up at the queenly figure standing in the doorway, stretching out her wings. 

“…make sure you get her nails done too,” she interjected before sipping her coffee and walking away.

Adora’s mouth gaped open as Glimmer and Bow pulled the blanket off of her, “W-wait! Why do I need a makeover anyway?! I thought we’re just going to the festival! I’m just gonna wear my normal cloth-”

“Adora!” Bow boomed while throwing the closet open, “How many units did you take last semester?” 

“…Seventeen,”

“And how many internship hours were you putting in a week?”

“Thirty…”

“When was the last time you bought new clothes?”

“Five or six…”

“Weeks? Years? Months?”

“…”

“_Adora!_”

“Ok, _fine_ I see your point! But nothing too fancy, ok? I don’t want to take advantage of this!”

“Consider it my mom’s charitable donation to the lesbian community~,” Glimmer sang, waving the card in Adora’s face.

***

The shops on Melrose made Adora feel more broke than she had ever felt in her life. Even with the windows plastered with rainbow flags and _P R I D E_ logos, the environment felt less than friendly to her income bracket, “You shop in places like this, Glimmer?”

“Hell no! Only when I feel like treating myself. What do you think?” She asked, holding a neon pink dress up to her friend’s shoulders.

“I think they should burn that,” Bow answered for her. “Do you even _like_ the stuff here, Adora?”

She tried her best to smile but was having trouble hiding the grimace on her face. The first half of the makeover was already exhausting. Three hours in a salon chair for highlights and extensions to transform her usual dirty blond ponytail into platinum blonde unicorn mane. Not to mention the makeup that had nearly contoured her face into a completely different bone structure. Adora wasn’t sure how much more of this she could take.

Bow sighed deeply before his eye caught a mannequin in the window displaying a stark white three piece suit. While Glimmer and Adora went back and forth over the length of a cocktail dress, he snuck over to the cashier, “Sorry to bother you but do you have that suit in any other sizes?” 

***

The inside of _Etheria_ was more crowded than Catra had ever seen it. The annual pride festival had brought a ton of unwelcome tourists who _apparently_ didn’t know how to say “excuse me” when squeezing their way into the bar. _This place is a shitshow tonight_, she thought as her tail twitched in irritation. The West Hollywood lesbian bar had never felt more foreign to her, and if it wasn’t for her coworkers claiming their usual table in the corner of the bar she wouldn’t have even recognized the place. She felt someone push their way behind her and she almost snapped before realizing it was just Scorpia returning with their drinks.

“Oookay! An AMF for Lonnie, Sex on the Beach for Rogelio— looking flamboyant as ever tonight, love that for you— a Shirley temple for me, and a Jack and Coke for the boss lady~” 

Catra rolled her eyes and sighed while taking her drink from the huge red claw, “Scorpia, we talked about this. We’re off the clock, I’m not your boss right now.”

“How much longer are you even gonna be our boss for anyway? Didn’t Hordak demote you earlier today?” teased Lonnie.

“A verbal warning! I didn’t fuck up that badly… next time I call out ‘sick’ I’ll just be more careful not to post concert photos-“

“And not caption them ‘fuck work’?” she raised an eyebrow.

Catra was about to respond when suddenly a drunken tourist danced by their table and knocked her drink into her lap, "What the _fuck_!" she hissed as the stranger passed by without a second glance. Catra's eyes narrowed as she stood up from her barstool, "I'll see you guys at work tomorrow... I'm about to get kicked out of this bar." 

***

Adora, Glimmer, and Bow giggled to each other as they stumbled up the stairs of the night club, "Oh my God I can't believe we just did that!" wheezed Glimmer as she collapsed on to a leather couch.

Bow collapsed on to the cushion next to her, "This is insane! What if we get caught?!"

Adora towered behind them and leaned over, throwing her arms around their shoulders, "Are you kidding?! It's so crazy down there, there's no way they'd notice!" 

The trio looked down of the crowd of people in glowing neon light from the view of the V.I.P. lounge of _Etheria_ Adora had to admit, the morning was a rough start but this was almost turning out to be the perfect night. The suit bow picked out for her fit like a glove, and Glimmer was willing to negotiate with him to get Adora to wear a gold crop top underneath the jacket to show off her six-pack. That combined with the boots that made her look even taller than her usual Amazonian self and the highlights that glowed under the disco-ball definitely boosted her confidence. The trio was in fact exuding so much confidence that they decided to try and pull off one more stunt-- sneaking into the V.I.P. lounge of the most popular lesbian bar in West Hollywood on the busiest night of the year.

Bow held up his glass and turned towards his friends, "To Adora's Gay-butante! Happy first Pride and welcome to the club!" he winked.

"To Adora!" roared Glimmer, raising her cup to Bow's.

The neon glow from the ground floor radiated around the duos faces and for the first time in years, Adora felt truly unconditional love. She gripped her fingers around her glass and raised it to meet her friends', "To Pri-"

"_HEY!_" Catra shouted as she slammed the door to the lounge open, "One of you rich assholes owes me a drink!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *writes new fanfic half a year late with starbucks* Thank you guys so much for bearing through this! I'm gonna be honest, I smoked a lot of weed one night, watched Cinderella Story, made a pop music playlist, and sat down to write YET ANOTHER incredibly self-indulgent AU. This story was in limbo for a really long time (I actually wrote it DURING pride month and got way too busy to work on it until now) but after season 3 I'm guessing all of us need a happy AU. ( ; u ; ) I'm still working on it so feedback is very much appreciated and if there's anything you guys would like to see or if you have any suggestions for the flow of the story please comment! I'll try and post as consistently as possible so I'll be aiming for updates every other Thursday. 3
> 
> p.s. let me know if you guys would want a mini-soundtrack for each chapter??


	2. Chapter 2

Bow stumbled in front of his friends, "L-look! We didn't sneak up here we're- uh- V.I.People!"

Catra rolled her eyes, "I'm not a fucking bouncer, but I _am_ the bitch one of you just spilled $16 worth of whiskey on!" 

Adora squinted in the dark, strobing club lighting. The short girl yelling at them looked extremely familiar… Hell, if she didn't know any better she'd say she looked like a more grown up version of-

"Catra!" Scorpia panted as she reached the top of the stairs, "_Whew!_ That was close! Man, that crowd downstairs is insane, I almost lost ya!"

No one saw Adora dropping her drink in shock except for her old friend, "What are _you_ staring at?!" Catra instigated.

Everyone whipped their heads towards the tall blonde. In a rush of defensiveness, Glimmer teleported between the two of them, "Hey back off! It's a crowded club, it could've been anyone so just leave her alone!"

Scorpia shoved her way in front of her boss, "Whoa, nobody talks to my friend like that!"

"_She_ came in here to yell at _us!_" Glimmer snapped back.

Above the crowded rainbow-lit dance floor the booth was about to explode into a full-blown fight. Bow was shooting Adora glances, pleading her to intervene, before realizing that she was… not exactly present-minded. He sighed deeply before throwing himself into the eye of the storm, "ALRIGHT, ENOUGH! Look, we're sorry you think we wasted your money, but this is not the night to do this! I mean, do we _really_ want to be the people getting thrown out of the club during Pride?!" 

Glimmer felt her face heating up, originally from anger but now from the embarrassment of Bow calling her out. Scorpia furrowed her brow and rubbed her neck in slight shame.

Catra stepped out from behind Scorpia, "Does it look like I care? I practically get thrown out of here on a monthly basis. If I get kicked out again, fine, but I'm not leaving sober during Pride."

Bow rubbed his temple in frustration, "This is so dumb… _Fine!_ One of us will replace your dri-"

"H-hey! Long time no see!" Adora finally managed to choke out several minutes into her revelation.

Catra raised an eyebrow, "What did she just say?"

"She's volunteering to buy your drink so we can end this! _Right?_" Bow pleaded.

Adora looked around at the booth full of people like a deer in headlights before nodding vigorously, "U-uh, yeah!"

Catra folded her arms and tapped a claw as she looked Adora up and down. This chick was definitely not local… she would've noticed her _way_ before. Plus an amazon like her wouldn't go long in _Etheria_ without getting swarmed by patrons who were thirsty for more than just vodka. Come to think of it, Catra wasn't totally opposed to making the other club regulars jealous with a new statuesque mystery-girl. "Ugh. Fine, blondie. I'll meet you at the bar," she flicked her tail, trying to mask gratification with annoyance as she made her way down the stairs.

Scorpia followed her in a flurry, "W-wait! As your designated accountabili-buddy, I should advise you _not_ to take drinks from strangers! I'll buy you another one…! Catra…!"

Glimmer watched them head down the stairs as she hugged Bow, "Thanks for keeping me in check, but you know I won't stand for anyone giving you guys shit like that."

He sighed and gave her a pat on the back, "It got handled. Hey, thanks for taking one for the team, Adora. Sorry to throw you in there like that,"

The two began to make their way towards the stairs before Adora stepped in front of them, "Hey! Yeah, so- uh- new situation! Way worse situation!"

"What now?!" Glimmer groaned over the bass on club speakers. 

"Remember all those stories about my childhood friend whose heart I broke? The stories that end very _very_ badly!"

The two of them nodded slowly, still not entirely stringing the pieces together. 

"Well! Now that story has an ending that I didn't know about!" Adora laughed in a panic, "Turns out she moved to Los Angeles and _I'm_ about to buy her a _drink!_" 

"Ooooh…" nodded Bow.

"…OH!" gasped Glimmer. "OH SHIT! Are you sure it's her?! Adora, I don't think she even recognized you!" 

"Well I don't exactly normally look like this, because _somebody and their really nice mom_ gave me a _makeover_!" 

"Well this was kind of outside my range of _foresight!_" Glimmer panicked, "Ok, look, there are thousands of people and way too many bars in West Hollywood! Buy her the drink and we'll just… slip out the door before she notices! Then we party until the clubs shut down and get home in time to rest up before brunch tomorrow!" she stood on her toes to wrap an arm around her tall friend's shoulders, "Then we drink so many mimosas on the beach that you forget you even saw her!"

Adora swallowed hard and looked down the staircase as if it were a black hole about to eat her up, "…Can we get crépes too?"

***

Catra leaned against the bar and checked her reflection in the countertop. It wasn't exactly the way she planned to pick up a girl at the club, but who was she to argue with fate? She felt someone tall and muscular slide next to her and turned towards them with a grin, "Hey~ Oh. Hey, Scropia."

"Catra c'mon we should just drop the whole thing and go somewhere else! I mean, this place is _dead_," she used a claw to wave away a gogo dancer passing out jell-o shots, "Plus you're always saying the DJ has no taste and the music here sucks a-"

"_Scopria_," Catra hissed in irritation, "Look… I promise to get home safe tonight… and_ -sigh- _ I'll work the closing shift with you so you won't be by yourself tomorrow if can get some personal space! Deal?" 

Scorpia watched above the crowd as the blonde stranger made her way to the bar, "I- I guess…"

"Now make sure Lonnie and Rogelio get home. They open the store tomorrow," Catra chuckled as she passed her keys into Scorpia's claws. 

Scorpia's brow furrowed as she retreated to their usual table and was soon replaced by Adora. 

"Heeeyy~" Adora sang as she shakily placed a twenty on the bar, "Do you… uh… remember me at all?" she winced.

Catra narrowed her eyes, "Uh, yeah?"

Adora's heart stopped in her chest, "…You do?"

"Duh, we were just upstairs together, like, five minutes ago?"

Her eyes widened as she looked up at her two friends, who were currently trying to signal to her to buy the drink and get the hell out of there! _She really doesn't recognize me… Ok… this might not be a bad thing… She doesn't hate_ this _Adora_, "O-oh, yeah I just thought I might've seen you around before,"

The bartender slid the fresh Jack and Coke over to Catra before she leaned in and asked her to add another one to the tab, "I'm sure I would've seen you before. Besides, you're one of the only girls here not dressed in loungewear or denim so I'm gonna guess you're not a regular," she speculated as a second drink appeared from behind the bar, "Here," she handed it to Adora.

"But I just paid for-!"

"I don't like drinking alone. Cheers" she raised her glass.

"What are we toasting to exactly?" Adora hesitated. 

"Idunno. Something gay?" Catra shrugged.

Adora chuckled, suddenly getting a feeling she couldn't describe in the pit of her stomach. On one hand she was relieved that she could reconcile like this with her old friend. On the other hand, were they really reconciling anything if Catra didn't know it was her? But if it was just one night… 

What was the harm in playing someone Catra _didn't_ know?

She brushed an extension behind her ear and cleared her throat as their glasses clinked together, "…To something gay!"

The two born-again strangers chugged back their drinks. The warm liquor settled in Adora's stomach as her anxiety lightened up.

"What is she _doing?!_" Glimmer groaned in frustration as the two friends watched from across the club, "We gotta get her out of there!"

"Wait!" Bow stopped her, "It looks like she's actually… having fun!" he smiled as Adora laughed at another one of Catra's jokes, "I say we give it two more songs. We keep an eye on them, and if she looks like she needs out we evacuate her!" he instructed. 

"Well what do we do until then?"

Bow started nodding his head to the beat of the music as he made his way to the dance floor, "I'm sure we'll figure something out!"

***

The two drinks between the old friends turned into four… drinks turned into conversation… conversation turned into dancing. 

In a haze of multicolored disco lights and loud music Adora found herself on the dance floor with Catra. At first the encounter was innocent enough, they had enough space between them to freely move around each other. Adora had never really seen Catra dance and was fairly sure she would never get to again. She was so caught up in taking a mental snapshot of the moment that she barely noticed the dance floor getting more and more crowded until the two were pushed up against each other. She was about to ask if they should go somewhere with more space when Catra turned around and flipped her hair over her shoulder, backing herself into Adora's body. 

At that moment she had two possible options in her mind-- pretend to pull a muscle and limp off the dance floor, or… wrap her hands around Catra's waist to pull her in closer.

It wasn't a hard decision to make. Adora slid one hand around Catra's stomach, feeling the two of them rock to the beat of the music together. Catra's tail slowly curled around one of Adora's legs as she could feel the tall blonde nuzzle the crook of her neck. There was an undeniable chemistry between the two of them. To one it was the thrill of someone new and mysterious, to the other it was the safety of someone familiar. Adora used one hand to hold Catra steady against her while slowly tangling the other in her hair and kissing her neck.

Catra knew they were surrounded by other people and used all the strength in her body not to let out a low moan. It had been longer than she'd like to admit since someone had touched her like that. But she had a reputation to uphold… she couldn't just let a stranger do that to her. She placed a hand on top of Adora's and as the grip on her waist loosened she turned to face her. For a moment the two stopped dancing and just locked eyes in a sea of pulsating bodies.

This wasn't right. This wasn't how Adora wanted to reconcile the way things were… the chemistry between them meant nothing if she couldn't have the guts to be honest, "Catra, I'm-"

Wrapping an arm around Adora's neck, Catra suddenly leaned in and pressed their lips together. Her kiss was just like Adora remembered… surprisingly gentle but undeniably hungry for more. If there was ever a point of no return for bad decisions, they had both just crossed it. 

Catra pressed her face into Adora's collar bone and slowly caressed her lower-back. Neon lights and the glow of sweat radiated off her skin, "Hey… you know my name but I don't know yours yet…"

Adora closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "I'm just a tourist… you don't need to know my n-"

The music stopped abruptly. 

A chorus of boo's rose as bouncers came in to start waving people out the exits, "Thanks for coming out, folks but it's 3 AM and we are CLOSED!"

Flourescent lights aggressively flashed on and the hazy illusion of the night club was ripped away. Catra pulled away and took a deep breath as she mustered up the courage to invite the mystery girl back to her place. She looked up and suddenly recognized the familiar face under the bright lights and faded makeup… too familiar. Her pupils dilated as she realized who she was about to invite back.

"C-Catra… you okay..?"

Without the deafening drone of club music, she could recognize that voice anywhere, "…Adora..?"

Glimmer and Bow frantically looked around the club, "_AAH!_ How many songs was that?!" Bow shrieked.

"Nevermind that, where are they?!" Glimmer desperately looked around before spotting Adora and Catra in an awkward stand-off. "TIME TO GO!" she grabbed bow by the hand and focused on teleporting across the crowd of people. 

"Catra, I can expla-!" Adora stammered as she felt a firm grasp around her wrist. 

Glimmer grabbed Adora by the hand in a panic, "H-hey we were looking everywhere for you! Well, we'd love to stay and chat but we have an Uber waiting for us outside! _'K byeeee~!_" 

Catra thought she was hallucinating when the three of them disappeared in a flash of light before her eyes. It was like a punch to the gut… 

Someone tapped her on the shoulder from behind. Her ears flicked as she spun around, "Adora-?"

"Yo," asked a bouncer holding up a card to Catra's face, "You with that pink haired girl? She left her I.D. on the bar"

She was about to tell the bouncer to shove it… then realized that this could be an opportunity in the making. She grabbed the I.D. and glanced at the address on it… Beverly Hills, huh?

"Yeah… I know her. Thanks. I'll drop it off to her tomorrow morning."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this earlier than I thought! Hopefully at this rate I can do weekly updates! As always feedback is appreciated! <3  
Also I know no one asked for a playlist but it’s very important to me that you all know the song that they dance to is Heart to Break by Kim Petras.


	3. Chapter 3

The ticking alarm clock on Glimmer's nightstand was about to drive Adora insane. The three of them had barely escaped potential disaster just hours ago. Adora stared up at the ceiling as Glimmer rolled over and stole the blankets from her. Bow curled up into a little spoon next to Glimmer. The tallest of the three could feel herself falling off the edge of Glimmer's childhood bed, but the morning sun was already starting to peek through the blinds and this was a good enough time as any to get up. Besides, it's not like she could sleep that well after what had happened the night before… The way things left off with Catra when Adora left her home town had at least given them closure. Catra _hated_ her and she was sure there was no way to repair things, but now all the black and white of the past was beginning to bleed grey. She kissed Catra… or even worse _Catra_ kissed _her_. Any closure the two thought they had was just blown wide open.

Adora wracked her brain as she crept around Angella's house, finally settling herself at the kitchen island. The coffee maker softly rumbled to life as intrusive memories of her past began to sink in. They had always been each other's first. Catra was the first friend Adora made in their group home… her first real crush… the first person she came out to… her first kiss… and her first heartbreak. She wasn't sure if she could handle having her heart broken by the same person twice. 

Her daze had already consumed her when Angella entered the kitchen, "Good morning, love. It looks like you three had a lot of fun last night!"

Adora snapped herself out of her thoughts, "Oh, g- good morning. Yeah, it was really… uh… interesting"

Angella poured a cup of coffee for her guest and one for herself, "Interesting, eh? Any good stories from last night?"

"Oh, you know… I waved to some floats, a drag queen gave me an inflatable sword, I pretended to be someone else to make out with my old girlfriend and at the last minute she found out it was me and I think she hates me even more now but I'll never see her again so… yeah."

Glimmer's mother choked on her coffee, "_Oh…_"

Adora cringed, "Yeeeaaah, but other than that it was a really fun night! I- uh- got you a little rainbow flag..!"

"Th-thank you, love, that's very… considerate of you…" she cleared her throat awkwardly, "Anyway, why don't you wake up the others and I'll check on breakfast? I think it's overcooked…"

"But you haven't started cooking yet?"

"Right… then I should probably figure out where that burning toast smell is coming from"

***

Catra sat in her drivers seat, flicking Glimmer's I.D. with her claw. She had been parked outside the mansion for at least fifteen minutes, debating whether or not to actually do this. 

_This is so stupid… what am I even doing here? This was a just a waste of gas,_ she sighed deeply, about to put her key into the ignition of her car before something in the windshield caught her eye… The window to one of the upstairs bedrooms was open and behind the blinds Catra could see the silhouette of Adora's tall figure wrapping itself in a bath robe. She took a towel and shook it over her hair before flipping it over her shoulder and sitting on the bed.

Catra hadn't noticed she was holding her breath until another silhouette appeared in the window, gesturing wildly. The pink haired girl from the bar… She looked down at the card in her hand and exhaled sharply, "Okay, I'm just gonna drop it off and _go_. I am not getting involved in whatever… _that_… is."

***

Bow ran a hair brush through Adora's wet hair, yanking out the last of her extensions.

"_Ow!_"

"Sorry!" he winced. "Glimmer are you _sure_ it's not in your pocket?"

"Yes, Bow! It's not in my wallet, it's not in my pant pockets, it's not in my _bra_! I can't believe I lost it! What if someone steals my identity?!" Glimmer panicked, digging through a pile of dirty laundry.

"Glimmer, that's not how that works," Adora tried to reassure her. "We'll get you a new one tomorrow when the DMV opens-"

She rolled her eyes, "But I don't wanna _ go_ to the DMV on my vac-atra?"

"Bless you," responded Bow and Adora.

"No! _Catra!_ Look!" Glimmer nodded to the window. Bow and Adora tripped over themselves to peek between the blinds. Catra was making her way down Glimmer's driveway with her ears folded back against her head and her hands in her pocket. "How does she know I live here?! Did you give her my address?!" she hissed.

"No way! Why would I do that?!" Adora whispered back. 

Angella knocked on the open door of her daughter's bedroom, "Are you kids almost ready to go? Our brunch reservations are at noon."

"We're kind of having a moment here, mom!" Glimmer began to wave her mother out when the doorbell rang. 

Angella raised an eyebrow, "You guys expecting someone?"

***

Adora stood behind the front door with her heart pounding out of her chest. The others watched closely from the living room. "Are you sure I should be the one to do this?" 

"Yes! You're the only one who actually _knows_ her! But we have your back, just act normal!" Glimmer nodded with a thumbs up.

She took a deep breath and steadily pulled the door open.

Catra had attempted to look nonchalant. She puffed up her chest as her tail casually swayed back and forth, but as the door opened she was caught off-guard. The Adora from last night had turned back into the one she always known. T-shirt and shorts, blonde ponytail pulled back to show off her huge forehead, skin still slightly dewy from her morning shower… she smelled like melon scented lotion… _Say something, idiot!_ she cleared her throat and swished her tail from side to side, "Oh… Hey, you're- uh- you live here..?" 

From the other side of the door, Adora was only doing marginally better at appearing casual, "Oh… hey… 'sup?" she nodded, while folding her arms and leaning against the door frame, "Th-this isn't my house I'm just…. chillin' here,"

Angella winced in second-hand embarrassment, "She's very bad at this, isn't she?"

"Mom! _Ssh!_" 

"Uh-huh…" Catra narrowed her eyes before reaching into her pocket, "Anyway… your friend left this at the bar last night," she explained while pulling out the card.

Adora gasped, “Glimmer’s I.D.! I can’t believe you found it! Thank you thank you thank you!” she  
impulsively leaned in to wrap her arms around Catra but stopped herself short, “A-anyway… is there any way I can make it up to you for coming all the way out here?”

Catra shook her head and started to turn away, “Nah, don't mention it… anyway I should get going.”

Adora felt her chest tighten as she watched her old friend begin to leave. That was it? Was that the last encounter they would ever have?

Suddenly Catra paused at the end of the long driveway and turned around, ”Hey..!” she shouted to the doorway, “You got any plans tonight?”

Adora looked to her friends in the living room shaking their heads furiously as if to say, _Don’t do it!_  
She looked back to Catra, “...Nope!” she replied.

Catra's ears perked up, ”Cool! I’ll pick you up at eight!”

Blood rushed to Adora’s cheeks as she smiled and nodded, "Ok! Eight o'clock!" The door shut as she leaned against it and sighed heavily, "I have a date!"

***

"It's just a date," Catra explained to Scorpia, handing her a stack of folded t-shirts, "Why are you so worried about it?"

The stack was gently placed on top of a display at the front of the store, "I just don't think it's a good idea! I mean, you haven't seen each other in years and getting back together with an ex is never a good idea, y'know?" Scorpia's stomach tightened as she tried to convince her boss to back out. 

"But I'm not getting back together with her-"

"Really?!" Scorpia sighed in a rush of relief. 

A devious cackle bubbled its way out of Catra's smile, "I've got way bigger plans…"

Red claws leaned on the cash register counter as Scorpia narrowed her eyes. Her wave of relief was short-lived, but she laughed nervously along with her boss, "What _ kind_ of plans are we talkin' exactly?"

Catra pulled herself up to sit on the counter next to the register, "Have I ever told you _why_ I moved here from my home town? What she did to us back then?"

"Yes! I still can't believe someone would do that to you! I mean _you_, of all people, you're practically a saint-!"

At that moment a customer approached them to interrupt, "Excuse me, can I get some help finding a size?"

"Piss off, can't you see we're having a conversation?" Catra replied, "_Anyway_, how often is it that this kind of opportunity presents itself? She flies halfway across the country to one of the biggest cities in the world and we meet at the same bar at the same night, that's practically fate!"

"So, you're just gonna… forgive her for everything?" Scorpia cocked her head in confusion.

"Hell no!" Catra scoffed, "I'm gonna get my payback-"

A hand made of purple hair tapped her on the shoulder, "Ooh, revenge talk! Which customer is gonna get it this time?" Entrapta laughed as she rode by on a clothing rack. Catra's ears flicked in irritation, Hordak had already promoted Entrapta to store manager over her and now she wanted to butt in on their conversation!

"It's not a customer! It's my ex-"

Entrapta gasped, "You mean the one who-?!"

"_Yes!_ I asked her out tonight, I guess she's only in town for a few days. She's clearly still into me, so that gives me just enough time to win her back over… and then…" she smiled sadistically, tapping her claws on the counter, “I'm gonna break her heart,”  
This had been a long time coming, at first Catra was willing to just forget about the past. But after the night before? After humiliating her and just trying to leave her _again_?! She was going to deliver some first-hand karma.

"Hm. No you're not," the manager replied bluntly.

"What?! What makes you say that?!" Catra jumped off the counter to get in her face.

Entrapta used her pigtails to shrug, "You've been caught up on her for this long. You're already exerting this much energy on her. Logically speaking, it seems like you're not over her so _you_ would be more likely to fall for _her_."

Frustration made Catra's fur stand on end, "What do you know?! I bet I could totally _destroy_ her if I wanted to!"

"Ooh a bet! I love bets!" her pigtails clapped together before nudging Scorpia out from behind the counter as Entrapta placed herself behind their store computer. Tendrils of hair began rapidly tapping on the keyboard, "Uhuh… hmm… interesting… yes… yes! Okay, Catra, if you can do as you claim and break her heart by the end of this week I can give you-" she turned the screen to face her employees.

"One month of paid vacation?!" Scorpia gasped, "Is that even _legal_?!"

"Who knows?!" Entrapta laughed, "But that's the fun of it! And if I win, then I'll take the vacation time. Even though I'd hate to be away from work for that long… You guys make being here so much fun! Maybe just buy me a coffee?" 

Catra’s pupils widened at the screen. A chance for payback _and_ she would get a month of vacation out of it?! She took the end of one of Entrapta’s pigtails and shook it firmly, “You’re on!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking a little longer with this chapter! I got slammed with work and prepping for school  
Honestly i was also super nervous about posting this because this is where my plot really kicks off (x o x) I hope you guys enjoy it, feedback would be super helpful for the direction the story is going in!


	4. Chapter 4

_-Pop!-_ A champagne cork flew past a beach-goer as Glimmer startled herself, “Whoops! Sorry!” 

"Glimmer, can you _please_ watch where you aim? I'd like a mimosa without losing an eye," teased Bow as he handed his friend a glass filled with orange juice.

"I'm just trying to make those archery lessons a little harder for you," she teased back, "Where's Adora? I thought she wanted one?"

In the distance, Adora was splashing through the waves. Angella had thought she'd enjoy brunch at the private beach club, but no one had counted on Adora being so enchanted from swimming in the ocean for the first time. Glimmer's mother smiled to herself, "She seems to be in better spirits than this morning."

"Ok, now that she can't hear us, I feel like we should talk about the elephant in the room-" started Bow.

"More like the cat," Glimmer snorted.

He clinked his champagne glass with hers, "I mean, last night was one thing… but coming to your house and then asking her out? After not speaking to her for how many years? It's a just a little…"

"Oh! What's that word you kids use now? Um… 'sus'! It seems very 'sus'," Angella nodded, slightly tipsy from her third mimosa. 

"Mom, you're not wrong but I'm begging you to never word it like that again" sighed Glimmer. "I'm worried about the situation too, but what can we even do about it? She's so happy that they're finally reconciling things there's no way we could ruin that for her! I mean… Catra didn't have to come all that way to bring me my I.D. unless she really wanted to see her, maybe she really _has_ forgiven her?"

For a moment, Angella watched the bubbles in her champagne glass float to the top before turning to face her daughter, "I don't want to cause any problems but… what _did_ happen between those two?"

She met eyes with Bow as he nodded, agreeing to let her mother in on their friend's history, "Mom… Adora grew up in a really… rough… foster home situation."

A sinking feeling hit Angella's stomach, "Oh no… she was abused?" she whispered.

"Actually, the opposite," sighed Bow, "She was the 'golden child'. Everything she did was seen as practically perfect. But Catra grew up in the same group home… and she…"

"…Wasn't exactly the favorite," Glimmer continued, "But her and Adora were best friends, pretty much inseparable."

"So how does 'inseparable' turn into them hating each other?" Angella wondered, tapping a finger on her glass.

Bow watched as Adora dipped her head under the water, letting the waves wash over her before coming back up for air, "That's the thing, I don't think she _does_ hate Catra. The supervisor of the group home kicked Adora out right before she turned 18-"

"But she's never told us why," explained Glimmer before her mother could ask, "she had to basically live out of her car for a few months… but Catra always saw it as Adora abandoning her. She waited until Catra turned 18 to reach back out to her but she was _furious_ that it had taken that long and they haven't talked to each other since…"

Angella furrowed her brow in confusion, "That doesn't seem fair… if Adora had no choice but to leave then Catra should have understood-"

"There's two sides to every story I guess," Glimmer nodded towards Adora walking up to them, wrapped in a towel and dripping with salt water. 

"That was amazing! The water here is so nice I didn't want to get out!" she laughed as Bow handed her a glass. "Thanks so much for bringing me out here Angell- is… your mom okay..?" Adora questioned as Angella looked at her and wiped a tear from her eye as she tried not to choke up. 

"Yeah, she's fine she's just… uh… got sand in her eye," lied Glimmer, "So are you still up for that crepe?"

***

Catra checked her reflection in her rear-view window before stepping out of her car. She couldn't help but smirk as the thought of one month's paid vacation sat in the back of her mind. She carried the cockiness with her as she got out of her car and made her way back to Glimmer's front door and knocked. 

A woman Catra hadn't seen before opened the door and looked at her sternly.

"Uh, hi. I'm here to pick up-"

"_Adora_! She's here!" Angella called to her. She turned back to Catra and narrowed her eyes, "Don't do anything _too_ crazy tonight. I've already memorized your license plate number."

Catra raised an eyebrow, "…O…kay?" behind the woman, she could see Adora walking down the stairs towards the door. She raised a hand in a casual wave at her date. 

Adora waved back and blushed slightly. It had suddenly hit her that Catra had _really_ intended to take her out on the town tonight. Had she always looked this… mature? She had never seen Catra wearing heels before… or in a shirt that low-cut… and were all those piercings in her ears new? Adora swallowed the lump in her throat before turning to Angella, "Thanks, I'll let you know when I'm on my way back" she smiled.

Glimmer's mother gently smiled back at her house guest, "You have fun tonight, just call if you need anything." Angella turned and nodded firmly at Catra before closing the door behind them.

Adora's date rolled her eyes before turning to her, "How's your day been?"

"It was fun, Glimmer's mom took us to Malibu! I pretty much spent all day swimming."

"I can tell, you smell like the ocean," Catra smirked at her.

Adora blushed and ran a hand through her ponytail, still damp from earlier. "S-so what's the plan for tonight?" 

Catra opened the passenger side door for her guest, "You're a tourist this week, right? Let's go do some tourist-y things."

***

The downtown plaza buzzed to life as the duo pushed their way past the crowd, "It's that one up there," Catra pointed to a lit-up patio on the second story of a building.

Adora squinted to read the sign, "Ramen?"

Catra nodded, "Yep. Best in L.A.!" she led Adora up the stairs to a patio and to a table with the best view of the neon lights of the city below them. "Order anything you want, it's my treat."

Adora cautiously took the menu from her date. She eyed it over but couldn't focus on anything. One question was buzzing around in her brain… "Catra..?"

"Hm?" she lowered her own menu and perked up her ears.

"Why are you… doing all this?"

"I don't understand? Do you not like ramen?"

"No, no! The restaurant is great! The view is great! Everything's great! B-but… why are you doing this for me? We haven't talked in years and if it wasn't for last night, we probably never would have… Just… Why?" 

Catra sighed before setting her menu on the table and leaning her head in her hand. She looked down at the crowd of people below them and sighed before she answered, "Idunno… You're right. It has been years, but all of that is behind us now. We're adults, can't we just… move on?" she placed a hand on the table next to Adora's, intentionally grazing a finger against her.

_Hook, line, and sinker…_ she thought to herself, _Sweet little Adora's going to be eating out of the palm of my hand by the end of the night. God, this is too easy._

Adora didn't have time to respond before a waiter came to take their order, "What can I get you ladies?"

"Oh, I haven't even had the chance to look," she grazed over the menu before setting eyes on a huge red label, _HELLFIRE RAMEN; S-LEVEL HEAT_, "Ooh, that looks good. I'll have one of those!"

Catra's eyes widened, "Um, are you crazy? There's no way you can finish that!"

Adora smiled teasingly at Catra, "Aww, what's wrong? Kitty-kitty still can't handle spicy food?"

Her eyes narrowed and her tail curled in irritation as she turned to the waiter, "Actually, make it two."

"Hey, I was just kiddi-"

"Aww, what's wrong? Afraid I can't keep up with the big girls?" Catra smirked as she flicked her tail.

***  
Regret. Immediate regret. Adora was breezing her way through the noodles as if the broth was made of ice water. 

Catra could barely swallow what was in hers before her eyes started watering up. This sucks! How was she supposed to be a heart-breaker if she couldn't even finish a stupid bowl of ramen?!

Before she knew it, Adora could already see the bottom of her bowl. "That was delicious! Thanks for taking me here!"

"Don't _-cough-_ mention it…" Catra choked, "C'mon let's head out, we've still got a whole night ahead of us… I'll get the check"

"Aw, you sure? You barely touched yours!"

Catra couldn't even look down at her bowl or else she was going to be sick, "Y-yeah I actually ate before we came here." She covered the bill before leading Adora back out towards the plaza, now even more busy with the night crowd. "Ugh, great. C'mon I'm parked this way" she firmly grabbed her date by the hand and led her through the mob of people. 

Butterflies fluttered inside Adora, _God, what's wrong with me… I'm not 13 anymore, why am I so nervous?_

Before she knew it, the two of them were led towards the entrance of a tunnel. It was one of the most beautiful things Adora had ever seen, the exit of the plaza was an installation of projected lights, slowly rotating in a circle and changing every color of the rainbow. People were lining the walls, taking pictures of each other. "I-I don't wanna get in anyone's way, c'mon we can just go out the other way,"

Catra rolled her eyes and tightened the grip on Adora's hand, "There's always people taking pictures, it's fine. Let's go," she instructed as she tugged her date through to the other side.

Even though Adora was mystified by the installation in the tunnel she couldn't keep her eyes off of Catra… Time felt like it stopped and for a moment the people around them didn't exist. All she could see was the neon light reflecting off the back of Catra's head, illuminating her like a halo. All she could feel was their hands locked together. It felt surreal, like something from a dream. 

By the time they reached the end of the tunnel, the butterflies in Adora's stomach were stronger than ever.

Meanwhile Catra's stomach had plans of its own, _Stupid fucking s-rank ramen! I can't keep going out like this tonight_ she sighed and looked back at her date, "Hey, I'm really sorry but I'm not feeling great after dinner… I'll drop you off back home, we can hang out again tomor-"

"No, th-that's okay!" Adora placed a concerned hand on Catra's shoulder, "I don't have to go home yet, and you don't have to take me anywhere. I'm just… really happy to spend time with you," she smiled genuinely.

Catra was almost taken aback. All she had done was pay for dinner, why was Adora being so sappy? "O…okay. Do you wanna go back to my place and… Idunno rent a movie or something?"

Adora smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I'd love that!"

***

The cramped studio apartment was definitely humble compared to Glimmer's mansion. Catra's pull-out couch was covered in laundry, the kitchen had a pizza box left out and a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. A bottle of weed sat on the coffee table next to a huge bong. _Great… first I ruin dinner, now she sees the pigsty I live in. Goodbye paid vacation…_

Adora hadn't even noticed the mess, she could only focus on one thing-- the skateboard leaning against a wall in the corner. "Your old board… you still have it."

For a moment Catra was caught off-guard, "Y-yeah… I still ride it sometimes. Ten years later and she's never broken on me yet."

Adora's hand grazed the rough surface of a wheel as it slowly spun on the axel, "That's amazing, I still have mine too!"

Catra's ears perked up, "You do?"

"Of course I do! Oh my god is it still here..?" she took the board in her hands and turned it to see the other side of the deck. Towards the very bottom was a sticker with a crude drawing of the two of them that they had made for each other.

"Whoa, I forgot that was still there…" Catra whispered, crouching down next to her.

"I still have my sticker too, _To A-dork-a, from Catra_" Adora stuck out her tongue.

"Well you _are_ a pretty big dork," she grinned back. The two of them stood up at the same time and accidentally knocked heads together, "Ow! Jeez, did gravity pull down on that massive forehead of yours?" she teased.

"Psh, you're just jealous because you don’t know what it's like to have anything between your ears!" Adora jabbed back.

For a second Catra looked angry but she could feel a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. It wasn't long until she started snickering, eventually turning into full-blown laughter. The feeling was contagious and Adora couldn't help but laugh along with her and before long the two of them were in tears. 

"You're so fucking dumb!" Catra wheezed.

"Takes a dumbass to know one!" Adora snorted.

"Hey I'm a dumbass with a _great_ ass!"

"Uh, yeah right! If you turned to the side you'd probably disappear!" Adora gently tugged on her tail.

Catra yelped and felt herself blush.

Suddenly Adora had realized what she had just done and she gently let go, "S-so… uh… what- um- movie did you want to watch?"

Catra cleared her throat, "O-oh I'll, uh… see what's new, I'm gonna throw on some pajamas, I'll drive you back home when it's finished."

***

It was happening again… she hadn't had the nightmare in so long, much less the sleep paralysis too.

_Please, please, please, please, wake up, Catra! Wake up, dammit!_

She was stuck to a kitchen chair in their old group home. She tried to squeeze her eyes shut, hoping that when she opened them she would wake herself up in the real world, but instead she opened them in the dream one. And Shadow-Weaver was sitting across from her at the kitchen table. 

She could only manage to choke out a noise in her dream world, "A-Adora…"

Shadow-Weaver stood up from her chair and hovered over her, "Stupid little girl… She's not coming back home tonight. She's run away…"

"N-_no_ she didn't!"

"Yes she did… see for yourself… check your room…"

_No!_ Catra tried to squeeze her eyes shut again _Wake up, goddamnit!_

When she opened them again she was back in their old bed room. Adora's sheets were taken off of her bunk. Her clothes were gone from the closet. Everything that Adora had ever owned since Catra could remember was gone. She could slowly feel the presence of Shadow-Weaver creeping up behind her, "Do you know… _why_ she left?"

Catra could feel tears streaming down her cheek, she couldn't tell if they were real or if they were part of her nightmare. "N-no…" she managed to whisper.

"She left because she hated it here…" Shadow-Weaver hissed, "She hated me… but most of all… she left because she hated _you_..!"

Catra's eyes snapped open in the real world as she gasped for air. Her ears were flattened against her head and her forehead was beaded with a cold sweat. She shakily pulled herself off the sofa before realizing she wasn't alone. Adora was curled up asleep on the sofa next to her. For a moment Catra questioned if she was still dreaming before realizing that she never drove Adora home the night before. They had put the movie on and dozed off. 

She slowly backed off the sofa before checking her phone left on the kitchen counter. Suddenly she realized what time it was _Shit!_

She opened her messages to text Entrapta.

"_Hey, I'm gonna be late for work I'll be there soon_" <

> "…"

> "_hehe ok :3c see u later_"

Catra rolled her eyes before beginning to change. She had less than an hour to get ready for work. She started pulling her shirt over her head when she noticed that Adora had begun to stir herself awake.

"Mm.. Morning. Hey, what time is it..?" she reached to look for her own phone. 

"It's almost 11. Sorry, but I gotta get ready, I'm running late for work. I'll call you an Uber home."  
Adora rubbed the sleep from her eyes as Catra came into focus. She slowly realized that her old friend was pacing around the apartment in a bralette and a pair of gym shorts.

She fixed her ponytail and stretched her back before getting off the sofa and slowly making her way towards Catra.

In her stressed-out Daze, Catra didn't even notice that Adora had made her way behind her until she felt her arms gently hug her from behind.

"Hey, Catra…"

She felt a shiver down her spine to the tip of her tail… 

"You're already late for work… I'm already late getting back to Glimmer's place…" Adora rested her chin on Catra's shoulder, sleepily and seductively whispering in her ear, "What if we just… stayed in today?"


	5. Chapter 5

None of this was going according to plan, and the events of the morning were making Catra realize she didn't have much of a plan anyway. She knew her end goal-- payback, but god was it hard to think about payback with Adora breathing on her neck like that, "Adora… I-I don't know if that's a good idea…"

She paused to pull away from Catra, "I'm sorry… you're right I should let you get to work…" she blushed.

"That's not what I meant," Catra shut her eyes and took a moment to collect her composure before turning around to face Adora. She looked up to lock eyes with the tall blonde and placed a hand on her shoulder. Steadily, Catra guided her to back onto the sofa and took her place straddled on Adora's lap. Before she could say anything, Catra smashed their lips together, "I meant if you tried to kiss my neck again, I'd have to fuck you sore."

She wanted nothing more than to tear Adora apart… emotionally… mentally… sexually. She wanted to leave a mark on her that would never fade.

Adora began to grind her hips into Catra's. She was still wearing the jeans she had fallen asleep in and had never been more desperate to get them off of her, but first… "C-Catra, wait.." she managed to breath. Adora placed her hands on Catra's hips, signaling her to pull away, "There's something you should know…"

Fingers traced their way up Adora's muscular arm, "What? Don't tell me you're hiding another secret persona?" she teased.

She smiled back but couldn't bring herself to look Catra in the eye before confessing, "I've never… uh… done this before…"

"What, hooked up with an ex?"

"No," Adora squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment, "Um… I've never had… se-"

"You're a virgin?!" Catra gasped as her tail shot straight up, "You?! No way! We started making out when we were, like, fourteen!"

"Yes and that's _all_ I've done..! I mean, I've _done_ stuff, y'know, above the waist… I just… I haven't found anyone that I've really clicked with in that way…" she explained as her face turned red-hot.

Catra was at a loss for words… A virgin? Adora? Little-Miss-Lady-Killer-Stud? This was _definitely_ not part of the plan… 

…But, again, the plan never really existed, did it?

Catra gently rubbed Adora's forearm, "Do you want to keep going?"

For a moment Adora didn't say anything. She knew that losing her virginity was inevitable… Maybe when she was still a teenager she thought she would lose it to Catra… but as an adult? After not seeing her for years? She could barely wrap her head around the fact that this was really happening. But her answer was clear, "Yeah… I'm ready."

Catra's tail gently wound itself around Adora's leg as they locked eyes. She stared deeply into them and refused to look away, "I'll be gentle… just trust me and stop me if it's too much, ok?" she promised.

Adora nodded, wrapping her arms around Catra's waist and pulling them against each other. She inhaled the scent of Catra's skin before gently tracing her neck with kisses. 

Catra couldn't help but let out a soft purring noise as she slid her hands up Adora's shirt to unhook her bra. A small hand found its way to her chest to gently massage her breast, _ Whoa… She's_ definitely _grown_…

Adora quietly gasped as Catra ran a finger over her nipple and responded by placing a hand on Catra's thigh and moving it up her gym shorts. She could feel warmth radiating between her legs as she began to use a finger tease the slit behind her panties, drawing out an even louder purr.

Catra couldn't help but grind herself into Adora's fingers as she leaned forward and moaned into her ear, "Adora… you've touched yourself before, right?"

Adora's eyes widened at Catra's blunt question. She could feel the blood rushing to her face as her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. But she had already gone this far and there was no point in lying, "Y-yeah… and you?"

Catra didn't answer, she only used her other hand to brush against Adora's cheek before making her tilt her chin up so that their eyes would meet again, "Are you going to be honest with me?"

The dominant tone was almost hypnotic and Adora couldn't help but nod in compliance.

"…Do you think about me when you play with yourself?"

She swallowed hard but didn't look away, "…Yes. D-do you?"

Catra leaned forward to nibble on Adora's ear before whispering into it, "Mmhm… all the time, babe"

Adora felt like she could have melted, “Really..?”

“Really,” Catra purred. She backed off of Adora’s body to kneel in front of her and undo the button on her jeans, “Show me…”

“Show you..?” 

Catra pulled Adora’s jeans down to the floor and tenderly kissed the inside of her thigh. “Show me how you touch yourself”

Adora felt a bolt of electricity run down her spine as she brought a hand to her mouth and bit down on her finger to stifle a moan.

Catra reached for the hand and tangled their fingers together, “No… I want to hear you,” she kissed her lover’s palm before leading it between her legs.

Adora swallowed hard while looking down at her before obliging to her request. Her fingers moved to push the fabric of her panties to the side before grazing them over her clit. She started moving them in a slow, circular motion while making sure Catra had a good view, “Like this?”

Catra’s pupils widened as her tail curled in excitement, “Yeah, just like that…”

Adora’s face blushed bright red as her partner massaged her thighs. She closed her eyes and moaned softly as the pace of her fingers quickened, circling her clit with more and more pressure. At one point she slowed down slightly to penetrate herself with her index finger, drawing out the moisture between her legs. 

Catra couldn't hold back any longer-- she used Adora's knees to prop herself up as she pushed her face between her thighs. She could just barely hear her partner's surprised yelp as her tongue went to work, _Jesus, her thighs are thick…_

Adora squirmed as she tried not to smother Catra between her legs, the sensation was something she had never felt before-- warm and wet. The light pressure and quick flicks of her partner's tongue was almost ticklish. She impulsively put a hand on Catra's head, not sure if she wanted to push her away or push herself deeper into her mouth. 

Catra's breath hitched at the sensation of her lover tugging on her hair. Her ears flicked as the motivation to see Adora cum grew even stronger. She looked up to see the expression on her face and for a moment their eyes met.

The view of Catra panting between her legs was almost enough to send Adora over the edge. Blue and yellow eyes gazing up at her as strands of hair clung to her forehead, the freckles on her cheeks were dewy with her lover's slick. "Fuck… Catra I'm-"

Catra chuckled against Adora's entrance-- a sensation that almost made her partner kick her legs out if Catra hadn't used all the strength in her arms to press them against the sofa. She pulled back for a moment to give both of them a short break.

"Why'd you stop? Am I smothering you?"

"No, no I'm laughing-"

Adora's brow furrowed as she turned bright red and looked away in embarrassment, "Look, I told you it's my first ti-!"

"You swore. You never swear," Catra grinned as she nibbled on the inside of Adora’s thigh.

The blonde gave another yelp, “Fuck!”

“See? But you’re _really_ cute when you do… ” she complimented. Without hesitation Catra uses her index finger to tease around Adora’s entrance. She could feel her tense up at the foreign sensation. Catra wanted to see how badly Adora actually wanted this, “Ready..?”

The blonde nodded.

“Say it…”

“I’m ready…” she breathed, bracing herself by grasping the hair between Catra’s ears.

Slender fingers went to work, slowly teasing the outside of her lips before entering her. Catra stared up at Adora to watch her intensely. At first she could tell that the fingering was doing nothing- Adora’s eyes were closed but her breathing was steady, no moans. Good. She was ready for more.

Without warning Catra slipped two more fingers inside, increasing the pressure on her g-spot.

Adora’s eyes widened from the sudden intensity. Catra’s fingers were reaching places that she could have never achieved on her own. She couldn’t describe the sensation but all she knew was that she wanted more of it. She began grinding her hips with Catra’s rhythm, feeling her breathing growing heavier with every thrust. 

_Hmm… ok, I’ll be nice this time…_ Catra was extremely pleased with herself as she pressed her lips against Adora’s clit and hummed, still pulsing inside of her.

“Oh my _god!_” Adora’s grip tightened on Catra’s hair while her voice rang out in bliss.

The tip of her tongue began making long, drawn-out circles, coaxing more and more wetness out from between Adora’s legs. For a moment she broke away to check on her partner but kept pushing deeper and deeper with her fingers, “Does it feel good, princess?” she purred.

Adora could only look down and nod breathlessly. A rosy blush had spread across her cheeks and chest while sweat began to bead on her forehead. Catra felt her heart stop for a moment… it was all real. It was all painfully, beautifully real. Adora was _literally_ in the palm of her hand… This had been what she wanted the whole time, but much more than she ever expected. Catra didn’t expect the way Adora leaned her head on her shoulder when they fell asleep, she didn’t expect the way she moaned so softly when her thighs were kissed, she didn’t expect the way Adora was scratching her thumb behind Catra’s ear in _just_ the right spot while she waited patiently to finish…

But Adora was leaving in a matter of days… and Catra did expect to be left alone again. She had to make the most of what she had right now. 

Catra impulsively slid her fingers out, quickly rubbing them against Adora’s clit. 

She yelped in surprise, watching as Catra stood up to strip herself down before taking her place straddling Adora’s thigh, “What are you-?”

“Shut up,” Catra huffed, grabbing Adora by the face and kissing her intensely, “Just… shut up and let me have this…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being a little behind on this chapter. I’m starting a new job and I’m still working at my old one PLUS my last school year started this week so I’m a little fried... (x - x) I just wanted to thank everyone for their continued support! It means a lot to me when I see all the feedback I’ve been getting and writing this story has low-key been keeping me sane. More saucy stuff to come in the next chapter! ALSO I recommend listening to “I’ll be Your Girl” by Carly Rae Jepsen while reading this because that’s the song that inspired this whole story!


	6. Chapter 6

The kissing continued for a few moments, but the air in the room had undoubtably shifted. Adora pulled away, much to Catra's surprise. She slowly realized she had been a bit intense… For a moment the two bodies sat there in silence. Their chorus of moans and dirty talk now quieted into stillness. Adora could sense the shift in Catra’s demeanor, feeling the gradual decrease in confidence. She also felt the kneading of Catra's claws in her shoulder. Not violent or rough scratching… more of an anxious habit held over from when they were kids.

Adora took hold of one of her hands and pressed it to her lips to place a gentle kiss on its palm, ”We can stop if you want…” 

Catra couldn’t respond because of the lump stuck in her throat, she only wrapped her arms around Adora’s shoulders and burrowed her head into the crook of her neck. Adora reciprocated by wrapping her arms around Catra’s waist.

“Don’t go…” she finally managed to murmur into blonde hair.

Adora felt a twinge if guilt in her stomach, “I’m not going anywhere… I’m right here…” she felt the kneading of Catra's claws starting to dig deeper, her skin getting slightly more raw, "C-Catra…"

No response. The kneading motion just kept going…

Finally, Adora gripped against the bottom her thighs, "Catra!"

A startled Catra retracted her claws and pulled away, "S-sorry, I-"

"Listen to me. I'm not going anywhere," she repeated, staring fixedly into her partner's eyes.

Catra stared back for a moment before averting her eyes to quickly blink away tears.

Adora sighed before gently pushing on Catra's thighs, signal her to get off her lap.

Catra leaned back to get off of her when she felt the sudden grasp of two warm hands around her waist and an abrupt shift in positions. She wasn't sure how but now _her_ back was the one pressed into the sofa cushions with Adora on top… and her knee pressed between Catra's legs.

"If you're not going to listen to me tell you I mean it, then at least let me show you!" she asserted as the bright red blush returned to her cheeks.

Catra's eyes widened in response, "I thought you said this was your first time…"

"It is," she looked away for a moment of embarrassment, "…but if it's with you then I want to at least _try…_"

Catra could feel her heart beating out of her chest. Was this what flattery felt like? Was it supposed to feel like a million fireworks going off at once when Adora leaned down to kiss her neck? Was it supposed to feel like warm lips pressed to the base of her collar bone as she mewled out in bliss?

…Meanwhile, she wasn't sure if Adora had noticed the leg pressing against Catra's groin, stimulating her every time she leaned in to plant another kiss.

_Okay… I think I'm doing something right…_ Adora thought as Catra gripped her back in affirmation.

She dipped slightly lower, planting a kiss on Catra's surprisingly ample breast and passing over her nipple with a flick of her tongue.

Catra threw her head back into a moan, running her hands over Adora's shoulders and pressing herself even harder into her leg.

The sensation of Catra's thighs winding around her leg startled Adora for a moment but she quickly realized that there were some angles where stimulation felt… good… _really_ good. She slowed her kisses for a moment to position herself at the spot that felt the best to both of them, feeling Catra's warm slick increase with every push. 

"_Aah~!_ Adora!" 

"Like that..?" she breathed, gradually increasing the speed of every thrust now that she had found her partner's sweet-spot. 

"_Fuck…_ yeah just like that..!" Catra cried out. _How is she so_ damn _good at everything?! I didn't even get to make her-_

Adora interrupted her thoughts by grabbing Catra by the thighs and grinding even harder against her, feeling the wetness drip over them. 

Catra could hear Adora grunting under her breath, realizing that her climax was beginning to build. She wanted more than anything to finally watch Adora cum… 

With a devilish look in her eye, she moved one of her hands up to Adora's face, pressing a thumb to her lips. Adora obliged without a word and licked it gently, while matching Catra's intense gaze. The visual and sensory stimulation of it was almost enough to send Catra over the edge herself… But first… 

She matched the blonde's rhythm from below, thrusting upward every time her partner thrust forward. Using the wet finger, Catra reached down to toy with Adora's clit. 

She sang out in pleasure as her hands gripped even tighter into Catra-- surprised that Catra could still be so assertive in this position. Adora's tempo was thrown off by the feeling of warm, wet fingers pulsing into her and spreading her wetness around. 

"Aww, princess~" Catra teased with a voice that dripped with self-satisfaction, "Are you ready to cum for me?" 

Adora ground herself into her partner's hand, breath growing ragged from exerting herself so much. 

Catra grinned as her free hand wound its way around Adora's waist to grab her by the ass and bring her even closer. "Well~?" she asked again. 

Adora was giving it everything she had to edge her own orgasm back… She looked down at her partner's face to see the smug look in her eyes as she teasingly licked her lips. 

Adora chuckled and leaned in to whisper in Catra's ear, "I may be a princess, but you're still a brat after all these years," a hand quickly reached around to tug on Catra's tail as she pushed herself even harder into her. 

Catra's mouth was about to open for a rebuttal but all that came out was a hot and heavy moan as her grip on Adora tightened and her body convulsed. 

Adora was just as taken by surprise as her partner was. She watched as Catra trembled underneath her and felt warmth drip down the thigh placed firmly between Catra's legs. She had wanted to keep going but was hit by the reality of watching her first love melt into her… the orgasmic glow behind her freckles, the ears flattened against her head, her tail curling and twitching with every moan… 

Catra breathed heavily through the aftershocks of her climax _For her first time she sure as hell knew what she was doing…_ With only a moment of recovery, she composed herself just enough to pull Adora in for one more kiss, putting her hand back to work against her clit. "Stop being so stubborn… you already got what you wanted out of me…" she smiled against Adora's lips. 

Adora was still reeling from her accomplishment as Catra toyed with her… at the same time she had just registered how vulnerable she was about to become. Catra was going to be the first and only person to see Adora like this— heated, raw and passionate. Her face flushed and her breathing grew heavy as she felt her own orgasm building back up. 

Catra tried to focus on her breathing as it began to match up with Adora’s, ignoring the cramp that was beginning to form in the palm of her hand, _She’s almost there… She’s GOT to be…_

Adora’s breathing began to turn into panting and the panting into begging noises, “C-Catra I’m…!” 

Catra let out a low purr against the crook of Adora’s neck, “…Are you gonna give me what I want, princess..?” 

The breath hitched in Adora’s throat as a jolt of electricity shot through her, a high-pitched whine begging for mercy tried to force its way out of her mouth but was muffled by her partner’s lips. 

Catra’s hand continued to pulse as Adora rode out the climax, steadily slowing in rhythm until her lover quieted… 

Adora’s knees buckled as she collapsed into Catra. The smaller of the two didn’t seem to mind as she pulled her hand out from between her partner’s legs. “Are you ok..?” 

Adora could only nod, her face rosy with afterglow. Two hands found their way to her cheeks and her face was turnt so that she could meet Catra’s eyes. 

Catra smiled genuinely, “You did good, Princess…” 

The blonde’s face burnt in embarrassment, “Y-you don’t have to keep calling me that, you know..!” 

Catra gave a cheeky smirk before teasingly smacking Adora’s but cheek, “Alright, alright, _dork_… rest up and then you can jump in the shower” 

Blue eyes quickly glanced back at Catra, “You wanna… um… join me for that..?” she smiled. 

“Geez, you just lost your virginity! How much energy could you have?!” 

*** 

Five times… Surprisingly _both_ of them had the energy to go five more times. 

When Catra’s car eventually pulled into the driveway of Glimmer’s mansion the sun was already beginning to set. 

Adora took a deep breath, trying to come up with a good reason why she was back a whole day late, freshly showered and in the same clothes from the night before… okay… there was really no good excuse for that. 

Catra placed a hand on top of Adora’s, “I’ll walk you to the door-“ 

Adora shook her head, “Thanks… I really mean it. But I should probably just head in on my own. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable”. 

A concerned look crossed Catra’s face. 

“They’re good people, I promise! They’re just really protective of me,” she sighed with a smile. Adora leaned over to gently kiss Catra’s cheek, “Text me, okay? I wanna see you again soon before I… y’know…” 

Catra smiled bittersweetly in response, trying to bury the thought of Adora leaving again, “Yeah, I will… Later, dork…” 

Adora chuckled, “Later, nerd…”as she made her way back, the huge expanse of the house towered above her. She rang the doorbell and braced herself. 

The front door creaked open as Angella’s regal figure looked down on her, “Ah, you’re finally ba-“ 

The two of them were blinded in a flash of light as Glimmer teleported between them, “ADORA!” she demanded, ”Where have you _been_?!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to those of you that were waiting for this chapter! I apologize for taking so long with it, I got kind of discouraged with my writing for a while but I’m still powering through! 💪🏽💖
> 
> UPDATE (11/13/2019): hey y’all i just wanted to say thank you for all the kudos and the continued support of this story 💖 unfortunately life is getting way more busy than I predicted (I basically got a high profile job that i thought was legit but was actually run by scammers and now I’m figuring out my own freelance business x_x). In short, I have the next few chapters planned out but haven’t had the time to write them. If people request to find out how this story ends then I’m totally willing to finish it; but if people are satisfied with just getting to the smut and not so much how the plot ends then I’ll put it on the back burner for a bit longer. Thanks for understanding! 🙏🏽💕💖 love you guys!


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